Supporting frame construction for display board or chalkboard



y 1, 1959 H F'ROHRMAN ETAL 2,895,234

SUPPORTING-FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR DISPLAY BOARD 0R CHALKBOARD Filed June 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FEE-'3 INVENTORS flwz/y FBofir/zzan y 0,601! 1? Buiiafs United States Patent SUPPORTING FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR DISPLAY BOARD OR CHALKBOARD Henry F. Rohrman, Berwyn, and Robert A. Butters, Elmhurst, Ill.

Application June 20, 1956, Serial No. 592,564

4 Claims. (CI. 35-65) The present invention relates to a display board construction and particularly to a structure for mounting display boards, chalkboards and the like, on a wall.

The erection of a chalkboard or other types of display boards on a wall is a time consuming and relatively costly operation. In the past, display boards have either been cemented to a wall or mechanically clamped to the wall. When a display board is cemented to a wall, a wood, plaster, or metal stop, or ground, is secured to the wall or inserted into the wall adjacent to the upper and lower edges of the display board and also generally along the vertical edges of the display board. The board is then cemented by applying spots of mastic, or other adhesive compound, to the back of the board and pressing the board against the wall. Since chalkboards are not always uniform in thickness or perfectly flat, it is difficult to align all of the spots of mastic on the board with the high spots on the wall, thus obtaining a firm bond between the chalkboard and the wall. After the board has been mounted to the wall, a frame is generally placed about the display board to improve its appearance.

If the chalkboard is clamped to a wall, the board is apt to be placed under strain due to the irregularities in the chalkboards. For this reason, a relatively complicated clamping mechanism is required with a relatively large number of independently positionable clamps. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a display board construction which may be readily erected at a much lower cost than has heretofore been possible. The inventors eliminate the necessity of providing the conventional grounds in the wall, complicated clamping mechanisms, or difficult cementing operations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frame suitable for use on chalk blackboards of different thicknesses, and a frame which will accommodate differences in the thickness of a particular board.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a display board frame which is attractive and has a minimum of exposed fastening devices.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a display board construction which not only reduces the cost of erection of a display board, but which is itself inexpensive. In part, this object is accomplished by providing a design which minimizes the number of different parts required for the display board frame. In addition, a large proportion of the parts which constitute the display board frame may be fabricated by extrusion, thereby further reducing the cost of the frame.

Broadly speaking, the inventors provide a frame for a chalkboard or display board with a bottom support directly anchored between the joints of a masonry wall. The bottom support provides a channel on its upper surface to accommodate the lower edge of the display board. A yieldable resilient gasket is disposed snugly between the display board and the confronting surface of the channel to maintain the display board rigidly within the channel. A top support is also directly mounted to the masonry wall and provides a channel on its lower surface which accommodates the top of the display board. Again, a resilient gasket is disposed between the display board and the confronting surface of the channel in the top support. The edge trim for the display board mounting is secured to the top support and the bottom support and is provided with a channel confronting and accommodating the edges of the display board. A resilient gasket is again disposed between the display board and the confronting surface of the channel of the edge trim.

The invention and its objectives will be more readily and completely understood from a further reading of this disclosure, particularly when viewed in the light of the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a display board construction according to the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary isometric view of the bottom support and end frame for the display board;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary isometric view of the top support and end frame for the display board; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of Figure 1.

Although the present invention may be practiced with other types of walls, it is illustrated with a masonry wall 10 formed of blocks 12 with mortar joints 14 disposed between the blocks both in horizontal and vertical planes. The display board 16 is mounted to the wall 10 and supported thereon by a bottom support 18 and a top support 20, both of these supports being secured to the masonry wall 10. The display board 16 is also provided with edge trim 22 as will be more fully described hereinafter. As illustrated, the display board 16 includes a chalkboard panel 24, such as a slate panel, which is disposed between a pair of identical cork panels 26, and another cork panel 28 is mounted above the chalkboard panel 24 and cork panels 26.

The bottom support 18 has an anchor 30 with an outwardly extending mounting plate 32 which is disposed within one of the mortar joints 14 between adjacent blocks 12 in the wall 10. The plate 32 is provided with a plurality of slots 34, and pins 36 extend through the slots 34 into the vertical mortar joints 14 between the blocks 12 to aid in securing the anchor 30 in place. The anchor 30 has a flat surface 38 extending upwardly from the support plate 32 generally normal thereto and in abutment with the surface of the wall 10. Adjacent to the upper extremity of this surface 38, the anchor has a protruding rim 40 which extends outwardly from the wall and terminates in a flat surface 42 which abuts the rear surface of the display board, in Figure 2 the chalkboard panel 24. The rim 40 is also provided with a groove 44 in its under side, and a flat surface 46 disposed at a small angle relative to the confronting surface 38 extends from the groove 44 to a flat shelf 48 extending outward and normally from the wall 10. A downwardly extending ridge 50 is disposed at the outer extremity of the shelf 48, and this end of the shelf is also supported relative to the surface of the wall 10 by a leg 52, although, the anchor 30 may also be constructed as a solid member. The leg 52 abuts the surface of the wall 10 at a point below the flat shelf 48.

A combination elongated and extruded chalk trough and display board mounting channel, designated member 54, is snap-mounted to the anchor 30. The member 54 has a plate-shaped portion 55 which conforms to the flat shelf 48 of the anchor and abuts against it, and a ridge 58 extends upwardly from the plate portion 56 into the groove 44 of the anchor 30 where it abuts the surface of the rim 40 confronting the surface 42. The member 54 is also provided with a ridge 60 which extends aboutthe ridge 50 in the anchor, and snap mounts the member 54 between the ridge 50-and groove 44 of the anchor.

The member 54 also has a front plate portion 62 which extends upwardly from the plate support 56 parallel to the face of the display board or chalkboard panel 24. The surface of the front plate portion 62 which confronts the chalkboard panel 24 is provided with a plurality of parallel projecting ridges 64 inclined generally downwardly. A gasket 66 of resilient and yieldable material is disposedbetween the front plate portion 62 and the confronting front surface of the chalkboard panel 24, or other display board, the gasket 66 being compressed and extending into the spaces between the ridges 64 of the front panel portion 62. .The inventors have found that a particularlysuitable material for the gasket 66 is a vinyl plastic. The gasket 66 could also be constructed of a mouldable material inserted into the space between the front surface of the display panel and the confronting surface of the front plate portion 62 in a flowable state, and there permitted to harden. However, such. an erection procedure is more difficult in that it requires the display panel to be mechanically anchored duringthe hardening period for the gasket material.

A shelf 68 also extends outwardly from the plate shaped portion 62 of the member 54 to form the chalk trough, the shelf 68 having a plurality of peaks 70 and valleys 72 to cause objects, such as generally cylindrical chalk pieces to remain in position within the trough. The underside of the shelf 68 is provided with a pair of continuous circular grooves 74 and 76, the groove or slot .74 being disposed midway between the surface of the wall and the outermost extremity of the member 54 from the wall. Each of the grooves 74 and 76 has an annular cross section of larger diameter than the surface opening. The outer extremity of the shelf 68 is provided with a wall 78 generally normal to shelf 68 to form a surface to maintain chalk and objects within the chalk trough and also to provide a finished appearance.

Both the anchor 30 and the member 54 are preferably constructed of extruded aluminum in sections of standard length. Therefore, if lengths other than the standard lengths are desired, a plurality of members 54 may be required. For this reason, adjacent sections of the member 54 are aligned by pins 80 and 82 disposed within the grooves 74 and 76 in each of the adjacent members 54, as shown in Figure 4, thereby aligning the members 54.

The top mounting for the chalkboard panel 24 is shown in Figure 6, and designated 83. This mounting 83 is identical to the top rail 20 and is also employed for the junction strips 85 between the chalkboard panel 24 and cork panels 26. The mounting 83 includes three basic parts, a lower section 84, a clip 86 which is secured tothe wall 10, and an upper section 88. The lower section 84 has three normally disposed plateshaped portions 90, 92, and 94. The portion 90 extends from the surface of the wall 10 to the rear surface of the display board 24, the portion 92 extends upwardly from the portion 90 in contact with the rear surface of the display board 24, and the portion 94 extends across the upper edge of the display board 24. A T-shaped ridge 96 extends along the upper surface of the portion 94 and is provided with a central threaded slot 98 on its upper surface for receiving screws. The lower section 84 and the upper section 88 extend along the entire upper surface of the display board 24.

The clips 86 are relatively short compared to the length of the lower section 84 and upper section 86, and have a strip portion with a right angle bend and a pair of claws 100 and 102 at one end of the strip portion which are slidably disposed about the T-shaped ridge 96 of the lower member 84. The clips 86 are provided with an aperture 104 confronting the screw slot 98. The clips 86 have an end portion 106 extending in abutment with the surface of the wall 10 and provided with an aperture 108 therein. A pin 110 extends through the aperture into one of the vertical mortar joints 14 in the wall 10. In the usual construction, the clips 86 are approximately two inches long and are disposed at distances of approximately two feet between centers to support the upper end of the display board.

The upper section 88 of the mounting 83 has a flat face portion 112 and a flat plate shaped portion 114 extending normally therefrom toward the wall. The upper section 88 of the mounting 83 is approximately the same length as the lower portion 84 in a conventional construction. A plurality of apertures 116 are disposed at intervals in the plate shaped portion 114 confronting the continuous screw slot 98 and screws 118 extend through these apertures 116 andare anchored in the screw slot 98. A shoulder 120 extends from the plate portion 114 par allel to the face portion 112 to abut a rib- 121 on the clips 86 to aid in positioning the upper section 88.

The face portion 112 extends downwardly from the confronting portion of the lower section 84 of the mounting to confront the display panel 24, and the surface of the face portion 112 confronting the display panel 24 is provided with ridges 122 identical to the ridges 64 in the lower support 18. A resilient gasket 124 is disposed between the face plate portion 112 and the display board 24 in snug relationship. The face plate portion 112 also extends above the plate portion 114 and forms a channel 126 for a display board 28. This same construction is used for the head rail 20 merely omitting the board 28 from the channel 126.

When used as a mounting 83 between the panels 24 and 28, the cork panel 28 is disposed in the channel 126. Since the panel 28 may be thinner than the panel 24 and the surfaces thereof may preferably be on the same plane, a shim strip 127 may be disposed between the panel 28 and the shoulder 120. The surface of the face portion 112 confronting the panel 28 is also provided with ridges 128, and a resilient gasket 129 is disposed between the face portion 112 and the cork board 28. It is also to be noted that the same construction is employed between the chalkboard panel 24 and the cork panels 26.

The edge trim 22 is suspended from the head rail 20 by means of an angle bracket 130 mounted to the upper portion 88 of the head rail 20 in the channel 126 thereof. A pair of screws 132 extending through apertures in the angle bracket 130 and apertures 104 in the clips 86 are seated within the continuous screw slot 98 to mount the angle bracket 130 in place. The channel shaped end trim 22 is secured to the angle bracket 130, for example by welding, and extends to confront the end of the head trim 20. The end trim 22 is also preferably extruded, and has a shoulder 134 which becomes aligned with the portion 92 of the lower portion 84 of the head rail 20 to form a continuous slot 136 confronting the display panels and accommodating the display panels. The surface of the slot 136 confronting the face of the display panels is again provided with ridges 138, and a resilient gasket 140 is. disposed between the ridged surface of the end trim 22 and the display panel 26.

An end closure 142 extends about the end of the shelf 68 and is secured to the shelf 68 by a pair of screws 144 and 146 extending therethrough into the grooves 74 and 76 of the shelf 68. The end closure 142 also extends normal to the end of the trough 68 and about the end trim 22, thereby concealing the end of the trim and securing the trim 22 to the bottom support 18. It is to be noted that the only exposed screws are the screws 144. and 146, since no other exposed screws are required in the entiretrim and mounting means for the display board.

When installing a display board 16 the first step is to insert the anchor 18 into a horizontal mortar joint 14 in the wall in order to support the display panel. Since this is accomplished most readily during the construction of the wall 1%), the anchor 36 will of necessity be partially covered with mortar and plaster, but these may be cleaned from the anchor to present a clean surface when the display board is to be erected. The member 54 which constitutes the combination chalk tray and support trough may then be snapped on to the anchor 36 Also, the lower section 84 of the mounting 83, with the clips 86 slidably disposed thereon, may be secured to the wall at the proper height, the clips 86 being positioned approximately every two feet at the vertical mortar joints of the wall. The chalkboard panel 24 may then be placed within the lower support member 1% and positioned to abut the lower section 84 of the mounting 83. The junction strips 35 are then mounted to the well, using horizontal mortar joints 14 for the pins 110, and holding the board 24 in position. Next, the two cork panels 26 may be mounted to the bottom support 18 and the junction strips 85. The upper section 88 of the mounting 83 may then be screwed into position by inserting the screws 118, the gaskets 124 and 66 being then placed in position to retain the display panels 24 and 26. The clips 86 and section 84 of the head rail 20 are then mounted above the mounting 83, and the cork panel 28 placed within the channel 126. Next the section 88 of the head rail 2%) is installed. The angle brackets 130 are then positioned at the ends of the trough 126 in the head rail 20 to suspend the two pieces of end trim 22. The end enclosures 142 may then be placed at the two ends of the lower support 18 and the gaskets 140 inserted to complete the construction.

From the foregoing disclosure, it is readily apparent that the display board disclosed may be readily erected, thus saving time and costs. Further, the frame may be almost entirely extruded from such materials as aluminum. Also, a minimum number of individual parts are required, since the head rail construction may be utilized in all horizontal and vertical joints between adjacent display panels as well as for head rail support. Further, the end closures require but one single type of closure, since it may be employed at either end of the lower support member 18. Also, this display panel construction presents a trim with a very few exposed mounting devices, namely only the screws at the ends of the chalkboard trough, thus having a very pleasing appearance.

The foregoing disclosure has been directed to a specific embodiment and construction of the present invention. It is well within the skill of the art to devise other embodiments and constructions, and it is therefore intended that the scope of the present invention be not limited to the foregoing disclosure, but rather only by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. A lower support for a display board comprising an anchor with an outwardly extending plate adapted to be secured in a mortar joint in a wall, said anchor having a shelf extending therefrom on the side opposite the plate and a rim extending therefrom between the shelf and the plate, said rim having a groove therein confronting the shelf, and a trough forming member having a plate portion abutting the shelf of the anchor and a ridge extending from the plate into the groove of the rim, said member having a wall extending from the plate portion generally parallel to the ridge and spaced therefrom to form a trough adapted to receive a display board, said member extending over the end of the shelf of the anchor and having a ridge abutting the side of the shelf opposite to the plate portion of the member.

2. A lower support for a display board comprising an anchor with an outwardly extending plate adapted to be secured in a mortar joint in a wall, said anchor having a shelf extending therefrom on the side opposite the plate and a rim extending therefrom between the shelf and the plate, said rim having a groove therein confronting the shelf, and a trough forming member having a plate portion abutting the shelf of the anchor and a ridge extending from the plate into the groove of the rim, said member having a wall extending from the plate portion generally parallel to the ridge and spaced therefrom to form a trough adapted to receive a display board, said wall having projecting ridges thereon confronting the protruding rim of the anchor and said member extending over the end of the shelf of the anchor and having a ridge abutting the side of the shelf opposite to the plate portion of the member, and said trough forming member having a shelf extending from the plate portion generally parallel to the shelf and a wall at the end thereof extending generally normally from the shelf to form a second trough.

3. A lower support for a display board comprising the elements of claim 2 wherein the trough forming member is formed by a plurality of elongated sections, and the side of the shelf of the trough forming member opposite from the plate portion thereof is provided with a plurality of spaced axial grooves having annular cross sections, the grooves in adjacent sections of the trough forming member being aligned, and a pin disposed in each pair of confronting grooves anchored in each of the adjacent sections of the trough forming member.

4. A display board construction comprising a lower support comprising the elements of claim 1 mounted to a wall forming an upwardly facing trough parallel to the wall, a display board disposed parallel to the wall and resting in the trough, and a resilient gasket disposed between the face of the display board and the confronting surface of the trough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,790,549 Masters Ian. 27, 1931 2,015,769 Toney Oct. 1, 1935 2,064,984 Marsh Dec. 22, 1936 2,182,481 Lowry Dec. 5, 1939 2,300,248 Elnett Oct. 27, 1942 2,319,278 Urbain May 18, 1943 2,469,347 Windhorst May 3, 1949 2,607,971 Bedford Aug. 26, 1952 

